West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-04-22
A NECESSARY LAW.

the Interstate commerce Dlil,iVSchV-
" passed by Congress. This law
relates exclusively 20 traffic between
different States, and can not, IN any
way, affect traffic that does not cross
State lines. It's three propositions
are as follows:
l. Railroads shall not charge
more for a short than for a longer
distance.
,. The rates shall be public.
3. There shall be no discrimina-
tions between persons receiving the
same character and quantity OF ser
vice. In other words a railroad shall
not give one person advantages over
another person.
Railroad managers, AMI their at
torneys, pretend to find difficulty in
understanding the provisions of this
law. bat it is perfectly plain to those
who wish to understand it, and there
is not the slightest uncertainty re-
specting these three propositions.
Heretofore railroad charges, being
unpublished, were largely a matter
of favoritism. If a shipper had in
fuence, or conld gain private access
to the ear of an official, he obtained
special favOrs and was thereby en-
abled TO crush competition. 1t was,
land, as to traffic within the State,
still Is, practically impossible for
any extensive enterprise, depending
on railroad transpOrtatiOn,tO become
profitable unless conducted in part
nership with officials of the cOmpa-
nv, and affairs have reached that
condition when business men Of eX-
perience refuse to invest in our local
industries unless and until they Sc
cure some guarantee that such IN
dustrv will not be Disseminated
against. The valuable water-pOwer
property at Harper's Ferry, and the
idle mill of Yantis Il McCraight,
costing $4,000, stand as melancholy
witnesses of the condition that now
prevails. Savary Il Co., the owners
of the water power, don't build their
contemplated works because afraid
the b. 4 o. will advance the rates so
as TO absorb whatever may be the
profits of their business. Ii they had
been assured of protection, the Pc
tomac would have been harneSSed TO
machinery more than twelve months
AGO and two hundred men would 10
day be earning wages on property
now vacant and idle The moment
it become a fixed fact that individ-
ual shippers in West Virginia have
the same protection as to local traf
fic that Congress gives to interstate
commerce: the moment it becomes y
fixed fact that the outside public, rs
to local traffic, will be protected
against the unlawful secret practices
of the inside railroad management,
then capital will feel safe and new
enterprises will spring up at every
railroad village in West Virginia.
Our young men win then no longer
find it necessary to leave the home
Of their ancestors in order to gain
livelihood.
1t is very true, that if the PROPOSE
ton declared by Congress be enforc
ed within the State as to local traffic
then the railroad managers will no
longer be able to suddenly aecumu-
late princely private fortunes by
means OF the secret methods they
now practice; and it is equally true
that several citizens of this State.
now in partnership with them, will
have their profits considerably cur
tailed; but the benefit to the general
public will be immediate and i'm
mense. The enforcement, as to local
traffic, of the three propositions Con
gress applies to Inter State commerce
will greatly stimulate the building
of new roads within our territory,
because capital will then have Sc
curity that the earnings of the road
will not be stolen. At present, it is
common experience that the inside
managers OF corporation generally
combine to swindle the absent hold
ers of it's stocks and bonds. The
effectorthelaw of CONGRESSES tomake
the securities of company, if its
road be favorably located, the best
and safest of investments. Secrecy
is essential to the personal and pr
vate schemes of railroad managers,